We quit our 9-5 jobs, rented out our pad & bought at old DHL van – it’s now our perfect tiny home and so cheap to run
A COUPLE has revealed why they decided to ditch their 9-5 jobs and rent out their home to move into an old DHL van.
Charlie Low and Dale Comley made the unusual property decision to leave their cosy pad behind and convert a van into their very own tiny home on wheels.
And Charlie and Dale, who met in the Dolomites in 2016 and bonded over their mutual interests and passions, have never once regretted their decision.
After falling for one another, Charlie, who came from a background in physics, and Dale, who is an engineer, realised they had the same dream of living in a van.
So, after a few years of living together in Bristol, they came up with a plan to convert a van, before heading off on a year-long trip.
But the pandemic changed everything and both agreed that they should just take the plunge, so the couple quit their jobs, moved into the van and launched their own business.
Charlie told Insider: “Now it’s just a way of life rather than a year.”
But how did they achieve their van life dream?
First, the pair did their research and eventually settled on an old DHL van that cost them around £8.8k – but ticked all the boxes.
Charlie explained: “Those tend to be looked after quite well because they’ve been regularly serviced and they’re retired after a few years.”
However, the pair had a huge challenge on their hands, as the van was completely empty and had no electricity or water supply and they did almost all their renovations on Charlie’s mum’s driveway.
But Charlie and Dale tackled it head on and did everything on their own – and it wasn’t without its risks.
Charlie revealed: “Typically, the things that people are most worried about are the dangerous things.
“Like gas inherently feels scary because something can explode. Similarly with the electrical system – if you get it wrong, it can be quite dangerous.”
Now it’s just a way of life
Charlie Low
She added: “We had to watch YouTube videos, read blog posts, do all this research, and we would still order things and be missing a part, or something arrives and it’s not quite right.”
But with their hard work and combined elbow grease, Charlie and Dale managed to transform the van in around thirteen months – from February 2019 to March 2020, but Charlie said if they’d have been doing it full-time, they would have completed it in about three months.
And the results speak for themselves, as the van is made up of several parts – a spacious sleeping area, a kitchenette, a compost toilet and outdoor shower.
For us, it’s just a much better way of living
Dale Comley
Meanwhile, the vehicle has an off-grid electrical system that’s powered by solar panels and a battery-to-battery charger, as well as a 70-litre water tank, which are all relatively cheap to run.
Once it was ready to be lived in, they rented their original property out to some friends and packed up their belongings so they could move into the van.
Since becoming van life converts, they’ve also decided to spread the word and launched a campervan and off-grid electrical system design service, as well as releasing a helpful book on how to make a van a home.
And while they love every second of their new life as seen on their Instagram account – and have no doubt reaped the financial rewards of downsizing – Dale admitted others are sometimes taken aback.
He confessed: “I think some people, when we say, ‘Oh, I live in a van,’ it’s almost like they take slight pity on you.
“But we do very much do it out of choice. For us, it’s just a much better way of living.”
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